Reticle for use in gun sights



y 1, 1953 A. R. MYERS, SR 2,601,72fi

RETICLE FOR USE IN GUN SIGHTS Filed May 28, 1947 JNVENTGR,

Patented July 1, 1952 UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE V r; t 7 2,601,726

RETICLE FOR USE IN GUN SIGHTS Arthur R. Myers, Sn, Silver Spring, Md.

Application May 28, 1947, Serial No. 751,083

This invention relates to improvements in reticles for use in telescopic gun sights. In general, reticles as now constructed comprise a pair of fine cross hairs extended diametrically and at right angles to each other across one face of a relatively short cylindrical reticle mount, the cross-hairs being in contact at their point of intersection at the axis of the cylindrical mount. A small opaque dot is applied to the hairs at their point of intersection.

Such prior devices and methods of constructing same have not produced a truly accurate center sight for gun scopes as the dot at the center of the reticles when magnified probably fifty diameters, presents a figure irregular in shape, it being distorted from true circular form at radially extending portion where it adjoins the cross-hairs in contrast to the intermediate stretched and flattened marginal portions under tension. Such a dot will not therefore cover a uniform distance in all directions radially of the center of the area covered by the magnified dot. The importance of the foregoing statement will be better understood when it is appreciated that a dot of only to %oo.000 of an inch in diameter will cover an area of several inches at 100 yards, when viewed through an average low power gun scope.

For maximum eificiency of the gun sight, there-,

fore, it is highly important that this small opaque dot provide a truly circular outline in the plane of the cross-hairs when greatly magnified by the telescopic gun-sight lens system. Although the' small dot, as heretofore manufactured may ap-.

pear to be circular to the naked eye, substantial magnification by the gun-sightlens system clear-n ly shows that the outline of the dot is not circular. Experimentation has showed that this noncir cularity is the result of capillary action causing the dot material, before it has hardened, to creep axially along each cross-hair thus creating four undesired radial projections on the dot outline extending out along the axis of each of the crosshairs, in 90 spaced relation.

It is therefore the primary object of my invention to provide a gun-scope reticle with a 14 Claims.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a method of forming a reticle including cross-hairs and a small spherical dot of opaque material at their cross-over wherein capillary action between the material of the dot and the cross-hairs is substantially reduced, and wherein projections resulting from the reduced capillary action are so located in spaced relationship to the major diameter of the dot that they are hidden within the maximum diameter of the outline of the dot when viewed in a plane normal to the axis of the scope.

Other objects. and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the course of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein-- Figure 1 is an enlarged diametrical section through a reticle mount showing the reticle formed by the cross-hairs substantially in contact at their cross-over point in accordance with present practice;

Fig. 2 is an end view of a gun sight scope with the reticle, including the opaque dot at the center, mounted therein, the scope and reticle being shown substantially of normal size;

the center dot appears as a true circle when viewed through the gun-scope and substantially magnified by the usual lens therein.

Fig. 3 is an exaggerated view of the dot and cross-hairs in Fig. 2 when enlarged as. viewed through the lens systemof the scope. This figure shows the non-circularity of the outline of the dot constructed in accordance with present practice;

Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to Fig. 3, but showing the reticle as constructed in accordance with this invention. Note circularity of thedot outline in contrast to prior art shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan view disclosing the method of application of the cross-hairs to the reticle mount in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 6 is a diametrical section in the plane of line 66. Note that the cross-hairs in accordance with this invention do not touch as they do in the prior art showing in Fig. 1;

Fig. '7 is a diagrammatic view corresponding to Fig. 6, but showing the disposition in space of the cross-hairs and the opaque dot with the center of its oblate spherical form located at what would be the point of intersection of the cross-hairs if the cross-hairs were not spaced apart;

Fig. 8 is also a diagrammatic view showing the reticle dot as observed along the axis of the gun scoie in the direction of the arrow 8 in Fig. 7; an

Fig.9 is a modified form of the invention as shown in the preceding figures.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the reticle according to present practice is formed by stretching a pair of fine hairs l across a face of the cylindrical reticle mount H and securing, as with glue, the ends of the hairs to the mount. As is apparent in Fig. 1, the hairs are in contact at their cross-over point. A small dot I 2 is then applied by application of a small quantity of opaque material in liquid form to the hairs at their point of intersection.

Since the hairs H] are actually-much finer than pictured in the illustrations, their intersection may be considered to correspond with the cen-' ter of the generally spherical dot. The dotis ap plied to the cross-hairs in liquid form and before the liquid can harden the dot material creeps by capillary action along the hairs, thereby creating projections l3 which, though not through the gun scope, Fig. 5. But, the crossh'airs actually fall into two different planes each normal to the scope axis and separated by a small distance along thataxis, Fig. 6, so that what is hereinafter called the cross-over with reference to Figs. 4 to 8, is not a point of actual intersection.

After the hairs have been secured in place by a suitable cement, they are cleaned with a highly volatile detergent, such as benzine containing about .1% of petroleum jelly for retarding capillary action. With the hairs thus secured and treated the material of dot D is applied at the cross-over of the hairs and supported by them. The composition of the dot material is preferably 1 part linseed oil, 2 parts lamp black, and 2% Japan drier. The dot thus suspended on the hairs, Fig. '7, assumes an elongated oblate spherical shape symmetrically disposed with respect to the cross-hairs H and with its center of gravity C and maximum diameter located midway between the hairs at their cross-over.

Although the treatment of the hairs as above noted materially reduces the capillary action of the liquid dot material, there still remain four relatively small projections P, Fig. '7. However, because of the fact that the maximum diameter of the dot falls in a plane midway between the cross-hairs and parallel to them, theprojections are located in front of and behind the maximum dot diameter (as indicated by lines L in Fig. 7) and are therefore concealed when the outline of the dot is viewed through the gun scope in the direction of arrow 8, Fig. 7. Note, in Fig. 8 that the projections P do not disrupt the circular outline of the dots maximum diameter.

In the construction of gun-scope sights it is essential that different size dots be provided to satisfy different requirements of the sights. In accordance with the present invention, such different size dots are provided by the use of different diameter hairs spaced differently with respect to each other along the axis of the reticle mount.

The present invention contemplates the use of hairs ranging from 7 0 to of an inch 4 with a spacing of the hairs ranging from 9 0 170 %00,000 of an ill-Ch. The /100,000 and /100,000 of an inch hairs are spider silk formed by lengthwise splitting of the silk, whereas the heavier hairs, A of an inch in diameter may be nylon, mono-filament.

In the manufacture of a reticle providing a inch diameter circle at a. distance of 100 yards the finer, A inch, cross hairs are used and are spaced of anrinch apart. This is substantially the form indicated in the enlarged views of Figs. 5 and 6, wherein the spacing between the hairs is twice the diameter of the hairs. Accordingly, the hairs may be so spaced conveniently by cementing one hair directly on the mount H and supporting the other hair on a plurality of short lengths of hair It while cementing it to the mount.

In the provision of a circle 4" in diameter duced on cross-hairs which may be in contact with each other at the point of cross-over.

As in the previously described figures, D representsthe dot or globule material in which the center C at the maximum diameter of the globule along the axis of the reticle is laterally offset from the supporting cross-hairs.

I claim:

1. A method of forming a reticle for gunsights, which comprises, selecting a pair of hairs of desired dimensions, securing the. hairs in spaced cross-over relation to a reticle mounting, and thereafter applying hardenable fluid material in the formation of a dot to and between the hairs at the point of cross-over, whereby the center of mass of the dot is disposed between and in spaced relation to the opposed surfaces of the hairs.

2. The method of forming a reticle for gunsights, which comprises, selecting a pair of hairs of desired dimensions, securing the ends of one hair directly to a reticle mounting, disposing the other hair in spaced cross-over relation to the first hair and securing its ends indirectly to the mounting, and thereafter applying a globule of hardenable fluid dot forming material to and between the hairs at the point of cross-over thereof. 7

3. The method of'suspending cross-hairs in predetermined spaced relation on a reticle mounting comprising, securing one hair at its ends directly to the face of the mounting, se-

curing a second hair at its ends indirectly to the face of the mounting and in spaced relation thereto and in spaced relation to the other hair at the point of cross-over, and attaching a globule of hardenable fluid material to said hairs at said cross-over point so as to extend therebetween.

4. A method of forming a reticle for gunsights, which comprises, selecting a pair of hairs, securing the ends of one hair to a cylindrical mount with the hair extending diametrically thereof, securing the ends of the second hair to the mount with the hair extending across the first hair but spaced therefrom at the point of cross-over, and applying hardenable fluid material to the hairs at the point of crossover providing a dot whose center'is disposed between said hairs.

5. A method of forming a reticle for gun sights, which comprises, selecting a pair of fine hairs, successively securing the ends of the hairs to the rim of a cylindrical mount with the hairs extending across the mount at the center thereof, spacing said hairs apart at the point of crossover a distance as great as the diameters of the hairs, and applying a hardenable fluid dot forming material to the hairs at the point where they cross providing a generally spherical dot having its center between the hairs.

6. A method of forming a reticle for gun sights, which comprises, selecting a pair of fine hairs, disposing one of the hairs diametrically of a reticle mount and securing the ends thereto, disposing the other hair diametrically of the mount at right angles to the first hair and securing the ends thereto with the hairs in substantially spaced relation at their point of crossover, and applying a lamp black composition in fluid form to the hairs at their point of crossover, which upon drying provides a, generally spherical dot having its center disposed between the hairs.

7. A method of forming a reticle for gun sights, which comprises selecting a pair of hairs, securing the hairs in spaced cross-over relation, treating the hairs with a detergent, and thereafter applying a small amount of hardenable fluid dot-forming material to and between the hairs at their point of cross-over which upon drying provides a small generally spherical dot having its center between the hairs.

8. In a telescopic gun-sight, a reticle comprising two cross-hairs, a globule of opaque material supported by the hairs at their cross-over with the center of maximum diameter of the globule in the axis of the reticle and offset from the cross-hairs axially of the reticle, whereby a dot of circular outline is obtained when viewed through the scope.

9. In a telescopic sight, a reticle comprising a cylindrical mount, two cross-hairs secured thereto at their ends to extend in spaced relation to each other at the point of cross-over, a small essentially spherical globule of opaque hardenable fluid material supported by the hairs at said point of cross-over, and the globule having its maximum diameter disposed in the space between the hairs, whereby the outline of the globule as viewed through the telescopic sight is truly circular.

10. A reticle for gun sights comprising a pair of hairs of selected dimensions having their ends secured to the rim of a cylindrical mount and extending thereacross in cross-over spaced relation axially of the mount and with the hairs spaced at said cross-over at a distance at least equal to the diameter of the hairs, and a generally spherical dot material encompassing the hairs at the point of cross-over and with the center of the dot disposed between the hairs.

11. A reticle according to claim 10, wherein the hairs range from 5/10(),()()() floopoo" in diameter and are spaced at the point of crossover a distance of not less than the diameter of the hairs.

12. A reticle according to claim 10, wherein the hairs are nylon thread and wherein they are spaced at their point of cross-over a distance of not less than the diameter of the thread.

13. A reticle for gun sights comprising :a pair of fine hairs extending across one end of a cylindrical mount in spaced cross-over relation and having their ends secured thereto, a small sighting dot of oblate spherical form having its maximum diameter in a plane normal to the axis of the mount, and said hairs extending through the dot at either side of said plane.

14. The method of forming a reticle for telescopic sights, comprising supporting a pair of hairs in fixed spaced cross-over relation, and thereafter applying hardenable fluid material in the form of a dot to and between the hairs at the point of cross-over.

ARTHUR R. MYERS, SR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Page 490 of Science, vol. 84, No. 2187,. Nov. 20,1936. 

